Insights on how to empower Black professionals

The conversation and work to improve Black representation at all levels in the workplace is important to me both personally and professionally. I believe that achieving black inclusion requires everyone to be informed and to do their part. So, having set up the Hays Black Network last year with Evelyn Styles, I thought I’d share some of the insights from our journey so far to help you think about how you’ll prepare to empower Black professionals in your organisation and potentially recognise The International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination which is observed annually on the 21st of March.

If you haven’t heard of it, it is a historic day when the police in Sharpeville, South Africa, opened fire and killed 69 people at a peaceful demonstration against apartheid "pass laws" in 1960. “Pass laws” were an internal passport system designed by the South African government to prevent the freedom of movement of Black people; this controlled where people could work, live and travel inside the country.

Active allyship: empowering Black professionals through effective networking

Last year’s Black History Month urged organisations to proactively diversify their talent pools and become more inclusive hirers in the long-term.

It’s clear, though, that much more needs to be done to empower Black professionals and break down employment barriers. Despite 92% of young Black professionals having clear career goals, a whopping 87% believe that their ethnicity presents a barrier to entry, according to a report conducted by EY. This perception is grounded in the stark absence of Black, C-level representation in FTSE-100 companies.

Changing this narrative means going beyond short-term gestures and displays, and instead coming together to show support with active allyship. That’s why we, at Hays, are proud to have partnered with the Black Young Professional (BYP) Network.

Lynn Abhulimen, Community Manager at BYP Network, joined us as a guest speaker on one of our internal National Inclusion Week webinars. Lynn shared how organisations can implement networking strategies to sustain diverse talent:

Embed employee networks

Diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) strategies are closely linked to employee retention, according to survey findings from a BYP network evening at our Leeds office. Only 45% of respondents saw themselves staying with their current employer in the next five years, while over 80% agreed that having a progressive, diverse work culture would heavily contribute to their decision to stay in their company.

Lynn explains that establishing dedicated networks can highlight Black excellence, and gain meaningful insights for businesses to better their DE&I strategies and bolster employee retention.

“Establishing a dedicated Black network is an effective way of ensuring two-way dialogue between an organisation and its black employees,” says Lynn. “Not only that, but internal networks can play an important role in recruiting and retaining diverse talent.

“Employee resource groups offer a clear pathway for organisations to offer support to Black employees, and a critical resource to inform organisations of what is and what is not working for them.”

Support with executive sponsorship

Make employer networks more impactful with leadership involvement; a senior executive within the company who acts as a strategist and who has the authority to remove roadblocks. This kind of executive sponsorship can help bridge gaps in communication and align Black networks with wider business strategies.

Lynn recommends fostering more open dialogue between Black networks and senior leadership, focusing on specific areas within recruitment and retention.

“Some employee networks have periodic listening sessions with their board of directors,” explains Lynn. “This can be quite impactful, because they're able to identify needs and challenges of Black employees and present these to the board but also put forward ideas on how to improve them.”

Directors and executives should heed these discussions, doing more to ensure that their hiring and promotions processes are fair and equitable, and that there is upward mobility for talented Black employees seeking senior positions.

Increase collaboration and ‘safe spaces’

Networks become much more valuable when they’re inclusive and open to allies – rather than being closed domains. Collaboration with other established networks and employee resource groups – such as PRIDE or LGBTQ – can further the shared goal of creating a sense of belonging for everyone. Value can be added to separate networks, and without detracting from their individual identity and significance.

Developing more inclusive networks is just one aspect of active allyship; it’s also important to cultivate safe spaces where honest and authentic dialogue can take place. Through these open environments, there is less chance of an organisation staying silent on the important issues that impact Black professionals on a daily basis.

Our partnership with BYP is only the beginning

Described by many as 'LinkedIn for Black professionals', BYP empowers Black talent by offering an expansive network of influential partners, and an ever-growing community. Our partnership with BYP is part of an ongoing commitment to diversify our talent pool, become a more inclusive employer for Black professionals, and create greater awareness around senior Black talent.

And we’re already looking at how we can partner with more communities and organisations to ensure that Black professionals are empowered to take control over their careers.

Through collaboration and shared opportunities, we’re confident that organisations can collectively challenge the biased behaviours and institutionalised discrimination that persist across the employer landscape. By embedding networks, it’s possible to unlock the potential of Black professionals, and unify DE&I principles across an organisation.

BYP Conference

We were honoured to support the annual BYP Conference at the Mermaid Theatre London in October. Revolving around the theme ‘Knowledge is Power’, over 60 speakers imparted their personal Black stories, and how individuals and organisations can be actively better – from encouraging allyship to embedding role models.

With 8,000 attendees, and representatives from a host of industry leading organisations – from Sky to Sainsburys – the flagship event equipped Black professionals with the knowledge, networks, and inspiration to become the best versions of themselves.

Being people-centric by nature, we believe it’s especially important to model successful Black empowerment and inclusive workplace environments. The BYP Conference confirmed the value of having meaningful face-to-face connections with colleagues in a safe space, and the knowledge these opportunities can confer.

Reflecting this, we’re investing in our growing Black network to ensure that our employees are empowered with the knowledge and allies that they need to be successful – and their true authentic selves.

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